Electric battery.



No. 743,598.' I PATBNTED Nov. 1ro, 1903. vE. TWEEDY.

BLBGTRIG BATTERY. PYLIOA'rIoN FILED DB0. s1, 1902.

No. 743,598. l

UNITED STATES Patented Ncvemrer 1o, ieee.

PATENT EricE,

EDMUND TWEEDY, os NEW YORK, N. Y., AssieNoR 'ro THE ROBERTS BATTERYCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,598, dated November10, 1903.

Application filed December 81, 1902. Serial No. 137,265. (No mcflelz Toa/ZZ whom, it 17o/itycfm/cleric:

Beit known that I, EDMUND TWEEDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, borough Of Manhattan, county and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsV in ElectricBatteries, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad tothe ldrawings accompanying and forming partof the same.

In using a two-fluid chemical battery as a source of electricity itisessential to its economicalemploymentthatthe fluidbeproperlyproportioned not only as to quantity, but also to cover the properamount of surface of the positive and negative elements. The iirstrequirement is easily met and under ordinary circumstances the secondalso; but in cells wherein the electrolytic diaphragm which separatesthe iiuids is flexible it is difficult to so adj ust and arrange thediaphragm that the proper quantity of iiuid will also cover the elementto the desired height. This is due to the fact that such a. diaphragmsags out of position, stretches, and otherwise becomes distorted, sothat the cubical contents of the vessel cannot be determined or how fara given quantity of liquid will rise :in the same. To overcome thisobstacle to the use of such diaphragms and for other purposes, I havedevised the present invention, which will be more clearly understood byreferring to the drawings, in which Figure l shows in perspective twosections and a diaphragm as used in my battery. Figs. 2 and'are sectionand plan views, respectively,of the complete cell and case therefor.Fig. shows the positive element', and Fig. 5 shows the negative.

In Fig. l, l and 2 designate frames of wood, hard rubber, or othersuitable material. 3 is a flexible electrolytic diaphragm'intended to betightly stretched and attached to one of the frames, as 2, in anysuitable manner, as

by means of small tacks. A number of sections are thus covered and thenassembled, as shown in Fig. 2, there being a diaphragm between eachframe and the next succeeding. End plates or heads et of suitablematerial are then arranged as appears in Figs. 2 and 3. and firmly drawntogetherby means of screwrods 5. In order to make the whole liquidtightand to protect it from injury, the cell is now placed in a boxy orvessel of suitable size, as 6, after which melted paraffin or itsequivalent is poured into the space 7 between the cell and the case.W'hen the wax hardens, both vessels are perfectly impervious. As thusconstructed the battery possesses a number of advantages. For example,pthe compartments can be made in any size, and the diaphragme beingperfectlyplane the capacity of the cells may be accurately and readilydetermined. In the cell shown the compartments for the negative elementsare made smaller than those for the positive plates. The large number ofsections provides for a large number of elements with large exposedsurface, which, combined with the close proximity of the elements toreduce internai resistance, gives a currentof great quantity. For thispurpose the battery may be composed of any number of sections from twoto as many as required, or instead of one large cell a number of smallercells may be combined in one battery by substituting for each alternateelectrolytic diaphragm a sheet or diaphragm of impervious material, ashard rubber or glass.

In order to prevent spilling of the liquid contents and slopping of theliquid from one compartment to another when the battery is exposed tojars and shocks or when it is used on a self-propelled vehicle, Iprovide covers 9 10 for the Openings 8 and for convenience attach theelectrodes to such coversso that they are suspended in thecells. For thepurpose of securing a perfectly tight joint I prefer to make theopenings and covers or coverplates correspondingly tapered, as shown.The latter may also be sealed in place with paraffin' or other suitablematerial, but under ordinary circumstances this method is unnecL essary.The electrodes or elements may be secured to the cover-plates in anyconvenient manner, as by making the plates each in sections or parts, asshown in Fig. 3, with the elements firmly clamped between.

The negative element (illustrated in Fig. 5)Y

with the electrodes in any convenient way, as'

ICO

by soldering a Wire to the zinc plates or affixing a binding-postthereto and by fastening a thin copper strip along the flush tops of thecarbon-rods, to which strip a Wire or suitable screw connector may besecured.

Various means may be employed to lock the cover-plates in position-21s,for example, that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in Which screw clamping-rods1l l2 extend across the box or vessel 6, bearing firmly on the coversjust outside the upper ends of the elem ents. These rods also ser ve tohold the entire battery firmly in place in the box and may be readilyremoved when desired.

I am aware that batteries have heretofore been built up of sections Withinterposed electrolytic diaphragms, but I do not know or believe thatsuch means as I have devised for rendering a built-up sectional batteryliquidtight have ever been used before.

The forms shown and described I regard as typical merely of myinvention.

Vhat I claim isl. In a built-up sectional cell or battery, thecombination with a section having an open top, of a tightly-fittingcover therefor made in sections carrying an element of the cell orbattery between its sections, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a built-up sectional cell or battery, the combination With asection havi ng an open top and a tightly-fitting cover therefor, ofclamping devices for holding said cover securely in place, Vas and forthe purposes set forth.

3. In a built-up sectional cell or battery, the combination With-aplurality of sections each having an openingin its top, tightly-fitting`covers therefor carrying,` elements of the cell or battery, and a box orvessel in which the assembled sections are placed, of one or moreclamping-rods extending across the box or vessel adjacent to said coversto hold the latter securely in position, as and for the purposes setforth.

EDIWIUND TVEEDY.

Vitnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, S. S. DUNHAM.

